Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

R. T. PAYNE.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 286,061 Patented Oct. 2, 18-83.

MM 1| M Ya fl/INVENTDR. (/27 7 ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. T. PAYNE.

GAR COUPLING. No. 286,061. Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY i ll Rum. E t

mnmm

lllll nected by a hinge-joint to the bar 0. As shown UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT T. PAYNE, OF WARM SPRINGS, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,061, dated October 2, 1883.

Application filed July To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVarm Springs, in the county of Bath and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object the improvement of automatic car-couplings for use both 011 passenger and freight trains; and its main features consist in a coupling-hook with a hinged or jointed head, a hook-block within the draw-head to receive and hold the coupling-hook, and a sliding block and lever by which the hook is held securely in the drawhead when the car is coupled, and also by which the car may be buffed without coupling.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is aside sectional elevation 5 Figs. 2, 3, and 4, sectional views of detached parts; and Fig. 5, a view, partly in section, of draw-heads and couplinghook, showing the coupling-hook reversible.

I11 the drawings, A is the draw-head, of the usual form of flaring mouth, and of suitable inner dimensions to permit of the free and easy working of the moving parts therein.

B is a coupling-hook, consisting of a plain bar, 0, and a hook-head, d, which head is 0011- in the drawings, this hinge is substantially a knuckle-joint, the bar 0 and head (1 each having two thimbles, through which the joint-pin e is passed. This form of j oint is preferable in such a structure, as the strain upon the pin 0 is thereby distributed along its length, and not confined to one point, and thus is the pin and joint enabled to withstand a greater strain than a pin when used with a link or similar coupling; but I do not wish to restrict my invention in this particular to any precise form of joint. One end of the bar 0 of the hook B is secured to a box or draw-head, A, by means of a bolt, 0, 'andthat. end of said bar has a free up-and-down movement, limited by the strap or block c and also a free sidewise movement within the box, as the hole in the 28, 1883. (No model.)

bar 0, through which the bolt 0 passes, is sufficiently. large to admit of this swinging movement. The box A is at its bottom a little higher than the draw-head A, so that the coupling-hook may be better adapted to operate with cars of different heights. The draw-head A is provided with a wedge-shaped block, (2, cast therein, having its upper face inclined from the mouth of the draw-head, as shown, and formed with a recess, (1 to accommodate and hold the hook (I.

F is a sliding block or latch supported within the draw-head, and sliding upon side flanges, g g, the latch being provided with grooves k 71 for this purpose. The outer face of thelatch F is curved, as shown, to admit of the free entrance to and escape from the draw-head of the head (I of the hook, as hereinafter de.

scribed.

G is a lever constructed to operate the block F, as shown in Fig. 2. One arm, 2', of this lever is passed through a slot in the side ofthe draw-head, and attached to a bolt, 7k, in latch F, and the opposite arm, Z, of the lever is turned up at right angles to the lower arm. The lever is pivoted to the draw-head ona lug, m, audits upper arm rests in a block, 0, on the side of the platform. The range of the sliding movement of the block F is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Other forms and arrangement of levers may be employed to operate the sliding latch F without departing from my invention.

P is a bolt to be used in connection with the ordinary link, and also, when it is desired to connect the coupling with any car not provided with my particular coupling mechanism, but having a draw-head that will admit of the entrance therein of the hook-head d, the pin P can be used with my form of hook by having a slot, 0 formed in the bar 0.

To operate the coupling, the latch F is first pushed forward to the position shown in Fig. 1. Before the hook (I enters the draw-head it hangs by its weight part way down; but when it strikes the draw-head it is raised by'the inclined face of block d and turned upward. The end of the hook then meets the curved front face of the latch F. As the hook is pushed forward the hinged head slides down the said shown in Fig. 5.

curved face of the latch and passes under it. As the car starts forward the hook engages with the recessed block d, and is prevented from being pulled out of the draw-head by the contact of the hook with the latch F. When it is desired to release the coupling, the latch F is forced back by the lever G, and when it is-desired that the hook shall not couple the latch is maintained in the latter mentioned position. The pulling strain is exerted entirely upon the block d within the draw-head, and not at all upon the latch F, so that the latch F can be pushed back with the greatest ease at all times. This is of great advantage when it is desired to uncouple a car in a heavy train on an upgrade, or whenever the pulling strain is unusual. Sufficient sidewise play within the box A is afforded to the bar 0 when the cars are on a curve, to permit them to be coupled at such a point. The contact of the hook with the draw-head will free it from all ice that may be formed at the hinge-j oint, and to prevent the format-ion of ice within the draw-head or in the recess at the back of the holding block a hole (not shown) may, be drilled at any suitable point in the bottom of the draw-head, to permit the escape of water that may possibly get therein.

It is obvious that the coupling-bar may be made reversible by providing each end with a hinged head, and in such case the opposite draw-heads are to be of the same form, as

It will be seen that my improved car-coupling is adapted to be used both with passenger and freight cars, and the advantages I claim for it are fewness, simplicity, and strength of parts, ease and certainty of operation, and ge neral adaptability.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a draw-head, the sliding latch F, means for sliding said latch, the coupling-hook, the holding-block d, and the draw-head A, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the draw-head provided with the part d, for holding a couplinghook, and the sliding latch F, substantially as described.

3. The reversible conpling-latchB, provided with the hinged head (I, substantially as described.

sidewise motion within said draw-head, sub

stantially as described.

5. The combination of the reversible selfacting coupling-latchB and the bumpers, provided with suitable means to receive and hold said latch, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT T. PAYNE.

\Vitnesses:

VVM". M. McALLIs'rER, Jos. H. BLACKWOOD. 

